Blues & Boogie in Bloomington: Festival brings hot summer fun Aug. 13-15

The Bloomington Blues & Boogie Woogie Piano Festival is one of the friendliest Judy Carmichael has ever played. That's one reason Grammy-nominated jazz pianist, Steinway Artist and host of NPR's "Judy Carmichael's Jazz Inspired" joins the sixth Bloomington festival, taking place Aug. 13-15.

The festival offers two ticketed shows and several free events. Tickets usually sell out, so purchase them soon is recommended.

"I’m tremendously flattered that each time I’ve played there the audience has voted me the person they’d most like to return," Carmichael said in an email. Founded by Craig Brenner and Lori Brenner, the Boogie Woogie is "certainly one with the most enthusiastic audience," said Carmichael.

Carmichael also likes performing for the event's nearly limitless age range — "kids to older folks — and everyone just seems so happy to be there!"

A singer and pianist, Carmichael illuminates stride piano and swing. “Stride," a title given her by Count Basie, honors her deftness in performing this strenuous jazz piano genre. She has a new release "I Love Being Here With You," and it's her first all-vocal CD, with A-list talent such as multiple Emmy and Grammy winner Mike Renzi on piano (music director for Peggy Lee, Mel Tormé and others) and saxophonist Harry Allen, who has recorded with Tony Bennett, and bassist Jay Leonhart, who has collaborated with Judy Garland and Sting.

Chewing gum and walking? Stride piano sounds easy, but making it happen is anything but. It's a left-hand manipulation that many early jazz pianists developed and requires the pianist to switch between a chord and a note throughout the musical pieces.

'Boss of the Boogie' performs

"Boss of the Boogie" Rob Rio (vocals, piano) is another of Brenner's festival's prestigious performers. What keeps Rio retuning to the festival is "amazing practitioners of the uniquely American piano style that gave birth to rock 'n roll, boogie woogie." Rio also participates so he can hear the stride, ragtime and zydeco (from southern Louisiana.)

In 2008, Rio entered the Boogie Woogie Hall of Fame and has performed with original blues greats, such as Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, James Cotton, Charles Brown, Joe Cocker. Stars such as Mick Jagger, Canned Heat, Billy Boy Arnold and William Clarke have recorded with Rio.

"Craig Brenner, the organizer, a fine pianist himself, provides great treatment and meals for all the performers," Rio said in an email. A bonus Rio appreciates is the pianists performing in local schools, for kids.

When festival cofounder Brenner writes boogie woogie music, he lets his mind travel to what catches his interest. For example, the couple's elderly cat Tut used to traipse to the piano when Brenner started plinking the keys. Next came a cat-walk atop those keys. Naturally, Brenner's "Tut's Boogie Woogie" resulted.

Lori Brenner sings, plays piano and percussion (congas and rubboard) and accordion.

Brenner and Brenner started the Bloomington Boogies: The Bloomington Blues & Boogie Woogie Piano Festival seven years ago, planning to entice esteemed musicians to Bloomington. Brenner had admired similar events in Cincinnati, Ohio, and LaRoquebrou, France.

Brenner credits his present family and his childhood family with nurturing his creativity. His mother never attended the Bloomington festival due to health, but she had gone to many similar ones.

"A few years ago when I invited her to the Boogie Woogie Stomp in St. Pete, she declined, saying, 'I don't think so, Craig, I've heard you before.'"

She not only heard Brenner, he said, she made his musicianship possible, providing instruments and lessons and even drawing the cover of his first recording. It's that support that inspires one of his life wishes: concert-quality pianos in more public places.

"In a place like Bloomington, where there are literally thousands of piano players — students, teachers, working musicians, etc. — venues and performance spaces should have pianos," Brenner said.

This year's performances, times and places

The Boogie festival begins Saturday, Aug. 13, when all performances and events are free. Performances hit "Go" at the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market at 9 a.m. and continue at WFHB’s “Saturday’s Child” at the Monroe County History Center at 11 a.m.

On Saturday afternoon two master classes take place: Judy Carmichael’s “Stride Piano” at 2 p.m. at the History Center, and at 4 p.m., the Pedro Alderighi-Stephanie Trick Duo’s class, “How We Approach Jazz Piano,” at the Unitarian Universalist Church. Participants and observers must register for music workshops, and there is a limited amount of seating. See below.

Saturday ends with free performances at 7:30 p.m. at Cardinal Spirits, 922 S. Morton St.

On Sunday, Aug. 14, see two ticketed concerts at the Monroe Convention Center, 122 S. Walnut St. The first is at 1:30 p.m., the second 5 p.m. Tickets are available at the BCT Box Office, and general admission for adults for each concert is $25 in advance; an all-day pass — admission to both concerts — is $40 in advance. Seniors (65+), students (age 6-17) and children receive discounts. No all-day passes will be available on day of show.

Sunday performances end at 8 p.m. and have no cover charge at "Bloomington Boogies After Hours" at Che Bello, 106 W. Sixth St.

Artists performing in the ticketed concerts include:

• C.J. Chenier: Zydeco accordionist/vocalist son of Clifton Chenier

• Judy Carmichael: Grammy-nominated interpreter of stride and swing

• Daryl Davis: recording artist/actor, blues, boogie and rock pianist

• Rob Rio: “Boss of the Boogie" and jump blues of the 1940s and '50s

• Sunpie Barnes: New Orleans multi-instrumental Zydeco accordionist

• Stephanie Trick & Paolo Alderighi: Harlem stride and jazz piano duo

• Lolly Allen: up-and-coming award-winning vibraphonist

• Keith McCutchen: pianist/composer with roots in Gospel and blues

• Ben Toury: French pianist with showmanship, strength, and speed

• Michael Drexler: multi-genre Grammy-nominated pianist/composer

• Monika Herzig: composer/award-winning Bloomington pianist

• Gordon Bonham: guitar

• Caroline Podetti : French professional swing dancer

People who will be performing in the lobby before and between ticketed concerts are Cass Hart, Kid Kazooey, Ross Martinie Eiler, Peter Bailey and others.

On Monday, Aug. 15, students at Fairview Elementary, Templeton Elementary, Jackson Creek Middle School and Tri-North Middle School will enjoy free concerts at school. The festival ends after school, with free workshops at each school. At Templeton, Cass Hart will present a Bloomington Boogies workshop for beginning and intermediate pianists. Seating is limited to 20 people, so register at https://bloomingtonboogies.com/education.

Bloomington Boogies and its activities are accessible to people with disabilities. Go to https://bloomingtonboogies.com/contact at least two days before an event.

For details about workshops and registration, visit https://bloomingtonboogies.com/education or visit https://bloomingtonboogies.com/ or contact Craig Brenner at craigbrennerboogies@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington Blues & Boogie Woogie Piano Festival set for Aug. 13-15